CRICKET AND FOOTBALL WORLD CUPS AND FREE TO AIR TV (No. 2)

That this House expresses delight that at its peak 7.9 million people watched the final of the cricket World Cup on Channel 4 and Sky whilst coverage of the Women's Football World Cup Finals on BBC TV attracted audiences of over 11 million; considers that these events will have inspired a generation of girls and boys across the land; further considers that action should be taken now to ensure that future major world cups should be available to live to all; notes that 18 of the matches in the Cricket World Cup were available free to air in Australia and only the final in the host country; further notes that in Australia under matches involving the national team are protected for free to air coverage; urges the Government to add future finals and matches involving England in the Cricket T20 and 50 overs Men's and Woman's World Cups to the listed events in the UK which must be offered to free to air tv channels not least because of the substantial amounts of public funding which has gone into supporting cricket over the decades; further considers that the Women's World Cup Finals should now be made a listed event like the Men's Football World Cup Finals; notes that the Wimbledon Men's Final which is a listed event attracted a peak of 9.6 million viewers which shows the value to bringing the nation together for events year after year.